Have you noticed website SEO is becoming increasingly difficult to build referral traffic from Google? The issue isn't just that more businesses are focusing on website SEO but also stems from the changes made by search engines, specifically Google. One of the most notable changes Google has introduced recently is the Featured Snippet, which has changed the SEO game for websites and is predicted to be a major trend in the SEO industry for 2019. Let's explore what Featured Snippets are and how they play a role in improving SEO services.
Featured Snippets – new opportunities and challenges in website SEO
According to expert predictions, Featured Snippets (FS) will be the primary target for many companies practicing website SEO next year. Why is that? First, if you are unfamiliar with this term, FS are text snippets selected to answer questions that users search for on Google. They are created with the primary purpose of answering the user's question directly, which is why they are often known as "answer boxes," although this name is not entirely accurate. Specifically, for a given question, Google tends to provide a direct answer (such as a definition or calculation result) at the top WITHOUT A LINK. Meanwhile, an FS is also a search result that includes a URL link to the relevant page; they differ from other search results in that they are boxed and always appear at the very top of the search engine results page (SERPs) (excluding ads), or sometimes they appear on the right side of the screen. These positions are known as "position zero" in website SEO and are more valuable than all other top-ranking positions.
Types of Featured Snippets to note for website SEO
There are 3 main types of Featured Snippets (according to Getstat data):
· Paragraphs (answers provided in text format). These can consist of text only or a combination of text and images. They account for 81.95% of all FS, with 27.58% containing images.
· Lists (answers provided as a bulleted or numbered list). They account for 10.77% of all FS.
· Tables (answers provided in a statistical table). They account for 7.28% of all FS.
In a recent study on website SEO involving 1 million high-CPC search queries, it was found that 9.28% of them contained FS, and the volume of FS related to hot keywords was twice as high as for other keywords. Additionally, Featured Snippets were found to appear more frequently in queries with more words (queries with 6 words or more accounted for nearly 25%, while queries with 5 words or fewer did not exceed 15% each).
Why are Featured Snippets so critical for website SEO?
If your website has an article selected as a Featured Snippet for a question (or several keywords related or similar to that question), it is undoubtedly a massive advantage for increasing traffic specifically and website SEO in general. Several studies have shown that the click-through rate (CTR) for a featured page (a page selected as an FS) increases by 2 to 8%, while traffic can grow by as much as 20-30% once it is featured in Google's answer boxes. By checking Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest, it has been observed that featured pages have an average social media share count that is 12.5% higher. Beyond just meaning more visibility when selected for an answer box—thereby boosting your website's brand awareness—by placing your page at the top, Google inadvertently helps you outperform competitors in the same field of website SEO. Furthermore, this serves as a testament to the reliability, accuracy, and value of the information you provide.
Is it easy or difficult to become a Featured Snippet in website SEO?
If you are still wondering whether there is a standard, foolproof formula for website SEO to turn one of your pages into a Featured Snippet, the official answer from Google's Search Console Help is no. Google determines whether a page contains the answer to a user's question and displays the result as an FS in a programmed manner, with no business or company capable of influencing it, except for Google itself.
To be honest, in the field of website SEO, for work to be effective, one must consider and depend on many factors, and Featured Snippets are no exception. Achieving a "position zero" might only be a matter of today, and there is no guarantee it will remain so if Google decides another page has more relevant content. Therefore, the most effective way to earn an FS position is to produce high-quality content and present it in a format that Google prefers. In other words, you must make your content stand out so that Google can easily identify your links. If you already have several high-ranking links and your website SEO efforts are effective, then you are in luck. According to statistics, 99.58% of FS pages are already in the top 10 of the SERPs for a specific query related to them. However, do not celebrate too soon or assume you have secured an FS spot just because you are in the top 10, as many studies also show that 70% of snippets come from pages that do not hold the highest organic ranking. Conversely, if you do not have a high ranking, this can be seen as good news, as you still have plenty of opportunities to compete for Featured Snippet positions.
Additionally, the industry in which your business operates also influences whether you get ranked as an FS. Websites with topics related to DIY, health, finance, mathematics, and specific conditions have a better chance of becoming an FS compared to websites publishing content in other industries. Furthermore, keywords in search queries also influence Google's selection and the results of website SEO. The five most common keywords in FS are "recipe" (2.3%), "best" (2.3%), "vs" (1.4%), "make" (1.3%), and "definition" (1.3%). Moreover, search types such as images, videos, local, and shopping results typically do not feature FS.
As mentioned above, it is impossible to manually label your own website as a Featured Snippet; however, there are several ways to make it easier to get your website on Google's radar.
Enrich your content to easily become a Featured Snippet in the battle of website SEO
There is a saying: "Know yourself, know your enemy, and you will never be defeated." Indeed, accurately assessing both yourself and the environment in which you operate provides the foundation for your website SEO to achieve the best results. There is a highly effective analysis tool you can use to research your own Featured Snippets (FS) and those of your competitors: SEMrush. All you need to do is enter the domain of the website you want to track and select "Organic Research." The results will show the number of FS that the website owns in the "Featured Snippet" section at the bottom right of the screen. SEMrush even allows you to investigate the keywords these FS contain using the "Advanced Filters" function below the statistics chart. Once you know which featured snippets your competitors own, you can fully optimize your content and your website SEO with the same keywords and topics. Additionally, when checking the snippets you already own, don't forget to keep an eye on related keywords that you can also rank well for. Of course, SEMrush is not the only investigation tool you can use—Google is the most optimal and comprehensive source—but if you are not yet proficient in website SEO, start with SEMrush.
If you have time to invest in analytical work, you can use Google to discover new opportunities. One of the most effective ways to find topics for content optimization is to think like an audience member. What questions are people actually asking Google to find answers? For example, put yourself in the shoes of someone new to the website SEO industry who doesn't understand common terms or acronyms. The way these people enter search queries will certainly differ from how experts search on Google. To cover this, pay attention to the "People also ask" section on Google's SERPs. These are questions related to the search terms the user has entered. This way, you can identify new ideas and your competitors in one simple step, then use that to upgrade your own content.
You can also improve the performance of your website SEO by looking for frequently asked questions on "Answer the Public," as questions (how, what, when, where, why, who) are the most likely to lead to Featured Snippets. Enter keywords related to your topic, collect the most frequently asked questions, and try to create appropriate content to answer them—this is the fastest way to turn your page into an FS.
Furthermore, don't forget to target the intent behind your content; don't just stop at finding questions. Although featured snippets are intended to answer user questions immediately, question-based queries are not the only type that trigger these boxed results. Most keywords that trigger FS are long-tail, wordy queries that do not contain question words. A tool that can make your keyword research easier is Serpstat, which includes statistics on keywords associated with relevant Featured Snippets.
Ways to optimize website SEO to become a featured snippet
As mentioned above, the best way to become a featured snippet is to provide Google with the best answer for each question/search. If you pay attention, you will see that most text-based FS displayed on SERPs are contained within a single paragraph. Experts working in the website SEO field offer the following advice to website owners regarding the ideal length for a Featured Snippet:
· For paragraph FS, the average length is 45 words (293 characters). The maximum is 97 words (752 characters).
· For list FS, the average length is 4.2 items (10.8 words per item). The maximum is 8 items (64 words per item).
For table-based FS, the average length is 3.6 rows and 2.5 columns. The maximum is 9 rows and 3 columns.
However, this does not mean your posts must be limited to a single paragraph. On the contrary, Google currently tends to favor long-form content (often called "pillar content," which is a better descriptor since Google evaluates more than just length) that is broken down into logical, bite-sized paragraphs accompanied by eye-catching images. Furthermore, creating long-form articles allows you to address more related questions without having to create excessive additional posts. Website SEO Because experience shows that Google is highly adept at identifying synonymous or similar questions, if one of your pages becomes an FS, it is very likely to also become the FS for similar queries. Achieving this is essentially like multiplying your work performance Website SEO exponentially. All you need to do is build more content and slightly adjust your writing style by posing questions directly within your articles (perhaps using H2 or H3 tags) and then providing a concise answer in a single paragraph. This strategy not only gives your posts a better, more readable structure but also contributes to higher user retention.
Provide factual data and eye-catching visuals when creating a standout website SEO page.
The second thing to keep in mind when optimizing your website SEO text is to provide factual data regularly. Google loves statistics, step-by-step processes, and well-organized lists. Therefore, in the paragraph where you introduce the answer to a question, ensure you include useful, factual data and groupings. This is especially important and necessary if you are managing website SEO for sales.
Finally, do not overlook tangible elements when creating website SEO content, specifically when aiming to secure a Featured Snippet. Most people prefer to learn in the most visual and vivid way possible, which is why images and videos can give you an edge over competitors. No one can control which image Google might suddenly select from your article to feature as an FS, so the only way to influence users in website SEO is to ensure all images you insert are eye-catching, branded, and well-captioned, so that no matter which one Google chooses, it looks professional and attractive. Video is also a significant contributor here. 65% of users watch at least three-quarters of a video, and 59% of experts believe people prefer watching videos with subtitles or on-screen text. The simplest solution is to subtitle all your videos, as Google might read that text and select it as an FS. Also, don't forget to ensure your content and data are always of high quality.
We hope this article has provided you with a clearer, more comprehensive overview of Featured Snippets and their impact on website SEO. If you have any questions or needs related to SEO and digital marketing, please do not hesitate to contact us at Markdao Agency Vietnam.
